Long Awaited
by genocidian
Summary: revision of Long Awaited Truth ... with a diff. title. ^^; Hanagata X ? ...
1. Chapter 1

**_Long Awaited (_**_revised**)**_

A Hanagata x ? story By Yuu Mizuyuki 

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**Disclaimer: **

Slam Dunk © Takehiko Inoue, all characters from Slam Dunk in this fic are his. Others not in the anime are mine and may not be copied without permission. 

Thank you.

- Yuu Mizuyuki****

**Dedication:**

_I dedicate this fanfic to my friend, _Micchy-no-koibito, (be sure to check out _her fics!!) ^^; gomen! I wasn't able to give you something for your birthday and I wasn't able to go either._

Prologue 

It was raining … _that day_. 

The clouds seemed to weep with me.

I felt lost, drowning … 

But she gave me life to live …

A life like no other. I truly miss her. 

Mei …

Splish splash …

 "Oi! Touru-kun! Matte!" 

A timid voice cried out in the midst of the darkness and chill of the stormy night. "Where are you going?" The small girl let out a whimper as she ran towards a small, dark figure ahead of her. She paused to catch her breath and she wrapped her soaked jacket around her to give a bit more warmth to her freezing body. She ran faster this time to keep up. 

She cried out again. "Touru-kun … where are you going? Matte! Onegai!" 

The figure turned around and searched the darkness for the voice that was almost drowned by the storm's deafening clamor. 

"Don't follow me! I'm just going to go to the tree house to get my basketball!" The figure cried out. He then turned back.

The little girl strained her ears to hear what he said. She ran to him and tripped near his back. She gave out a small cry as pain coursed her leg at a freshly cut wound but she ignored the pain. Bravely, she stood up and clutched the figure's cold, wet wrist. 

"Touru-kun, you're gonna get sick …" 

The figure, Touru, looked back at the little girl … "You're gonna get sick too, Mei-chan. Go back. I'll come back …"

She hesitated for a moment. She was scared to death and she looked back to see the glowing light from her house not far behind … but she could not leave him here too.  "Iie …" 

He tried to twist his wrist free. "Don't be stubborn, Mei-chan!"  Touru shouted, annoyed.

She sobbed and sneezed. She sighed, gave a sad smile and said, "Promise you'll come back, okay?"

Surprised, Touru gave a worried smile and whispered to Mei's ear. "Hai … I promise … I'll always come back for you!" He grinned and ran into the darkness.

Mei closed her eyes and waited for her surprise to come. Touru-kun told her to stay in the living room and to close her eyes. 

She shifted her weight towards her other foot restlessly. "Touru-kun, hayaku! I'm getting sleepy." She giggled as she heard Touru's footsteps growing louder. 

She faked a yawn as she heard Touru gasping for breath as he sighed. "I have it. Hold out your hand."

"Which one?"

**_Eh?_**Touru thought for a moment …   

"Which one do you like to hold up?"

**Touru-kun can be a baka sometimes …**

She giggled and stuck her tongue. She raised her right hand up and she felt something cool being place in her hand. It was light and smooth. "Can I open my eyes now?"

"Hai!" He replied cheerfully.

She slowly opened her eyes and looked at her hand. In it was a small glass figurine of a kitten with a pink ribbon and a small bell. 

"Kawaii!"

She smiled and looked at Touru who was waiting eagerly for her response. 

He had bought that for her when he was out to visit her grandmother. He knew Mei-chan liked kittens and so he decided to give her a small glass one. Next time, he planned to give her a really cute kitten. 

Mei hugged Touru and whispered, "Arigatou, Touru-kun."

Touru blushed crimson and tried to clear his head. " … I just thought you might like it … and um …"

Mei let go and looked up at him. She noticed how much Touru-kun had grown. He was a head taller than her now and he was just one year older. "I really like it, Touru-kun. Kawaii, ne, Touru-kun?"

Touru scratched his head with embarrassment and blushed even more. " … hai …" 

"Where are you going, Touru-kun?" Mei whimpered and hugged her teddy bear. 

Touru looked sadly at Mei. Her father told him that they were going to Tokyo since he was promoted. He was going to work there. They were going to live in a better house and Touru was going to study in a better school. Everything would have been all right, but he was not going to be able to bring the most important person to him.

"Mei-chan …" He paused to searched for words. I'm going somewhere and I won't be seeing you for a while."

Mei looked up at him with confused eyes. "When will I see you?"

Touru looked away. 

Mei sniffed and tried to hold back tears that were begging to be shed. " … but you promised …"

He looked at her puzzled.

"You promised that night … in the storm." She paused as tears fell. "You promised … you promised you were gonna come back for me ... always."

He looked at Mei's eyes. Even if he was just nine, his father had always said he was perceptive and mature for his age ... and so,  he saw sadness, fear  … and determination within her dark brown eyes.

"Mei-chan … I will come back. I promise." He smiled and hugged his best friend. The world then began to seem lighter for him as he let go. He looked once again at her eyes and saw that she held no more fear nor sadness, but hope and unending patience.

~to be continued~

Author's notes and rantings: ^.^ this is my project now and I put all the others on hold. My first attempts are … blah! _ … ^^; I promise myself I will _finish_ this fanfic. Read and review, Onegai. For those who do not understand what's going on, this is just the beginning … things will get better in the next chapters ^.^, ne? *crosses fingers* I'll just hope for the best ^.^! I hope you enjoyed it. E-mail me for flames :P and suggestions or comments. My e-mail is ninja_miki@yahoo.com. Domo Arigatou! 


	2. Chapter 2

1 Long Awaited  
  
Chapter 2  
  
The sweet smell of petals falling got Mei's attention, so she peered out the window and towards the cherry tree in her garden. The swirling petals made intricate patterns as it fell. She sighed as memories came flooding …  
  
// flashback //  
  
"Touru-kun! Where are you?" She cried. They were playing hide and seek and it had been hours already. She lay hidden in a bush near the cherry tree and it was getting dark. Shaking from the cold and from the darkness, she gave out a whimper. Touru hadn't found her yet. Baka, Touru! She cried out, to ward off the cold feeling within her and to scare away those frightful demons that may lurk. Timidly and bravely, she crept out of her hiding place.  
  
~ ~ ~ ~  
  
He sprinted through the darkness and shivered slightly as he a cold blast of wind met him.  
  
"Mei-chan, where are you?" He shouted into the darkness, begging … pleading for the darkness to give back his light, his best friend.  
  
He hung his head … almost giving up. Why am I such a baka … baka baka baka! I can't believe I slept in the couch! He banged his hand onto his forehead, stressing the point.  
  
"Mei-chan …" He stared in front of him, somewhat dazed. Then suddenly, he heard a sob … a small timid whimper. Scared … searching … etched with fear. Hope filling him with bright resolve, he walked briskly towards the sound … hoping.  
  
"Touru-kun … where are you?"  
  
Mei-chan! Hope was filled him with renewed strength and triumph as he cried out. "Mei-chan!" Then he saw it … his light, returned. His prayer was heard as his light was brought back to him from the shadows and the intoxicating scent of the cherry tree's swirling petals.  
  
He heard him sob and sniff as she dashed towards him and embraced him tightly.  
  
"B-baka Touru-kun!"  
  
Touru smiled meekly. "Gomen … Mei-chan." He hugged her tighter as petals swirled and danced with joy for them in the night.  
  
// end of flashback//  
  
How many years has it been? She wondered as she looked down and resumed reading her reviewer for her entrance exams. She closed her tired eyes trying to remember … How long has it been since we last saw, talked to each other, wrote to each other … ?  
  
She remembered the countless letters that they wrote to each other over the years. The last thing she remembered was that Touru was doing well. He found new friends, was getting high grades and still playing basketball as he used to. Then, she stopped replying to him … feeling jealous about everything. The friends that talked to him and the people around him. Why can't she be the one to be with him.  
  
Was she jealous … obsessed with him even?  
  
He still kept on writing … she looked at the right side of her desk. On it was an envelope … a letter from Touru-kun. He still wrote despite all the selfish things I did.  
  
I always told him that he was a baka … but I'm also one. A selfish baka.  
  
She sighed as she remembered all too clearly what happened to her after. Those memories were still too vivid.  
  
After he left, nothing seems to go right. I stayed away from people. I became so distant.  
  
I became a shell of what I was. From the out-going, cheerful, active and naïve little girl, I became a distant, quiet, selfish baka.  
  
I tried to make friends at first … but nothing really happened after.  
  
Nothing …  
  
I still miss him … I truly do, but it pains me to see his perfect life diminish if I step forward again into the light as a ghost of what I was.  
  
~ to be continued ~  
  
  
  
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Author's note: I really am sorry if it is short … I haven't been myself lately :P … Anyway, next part is Hanagata's point of view over the matter … ^.^ R&R! Arigatou! 


End file.
